The nature of cats and dogs.

Since the most distant times the dog has accompanied the human being. The two are so closely
bound up with one another that it is fair to ask if it was ever otherwise - if there was some carlier
time when man and dog lived separately. This is difficult to decide, for the paleontological
prehistory of the dog still poses great riddles. It presents us with so many lay- ers and different
forms that a clear-cut solution seems hardly possible."

People still search for the one and only ancestral form out of which the almost countless varieties of
modern and earlier canine types might have proceeded by way of breeding and selec- tion.
However, all the representations which have come down to us from former times-on Egyptian
tablets, Babylonian seals and Greek vases show the different kinds of dogs already familiar - to us,
as well as some forgotten ones: large and small, sharp and short muzzled, single-coloured, multi-
coloured, spotted, long- haired and short-haired, with large ears and with small ears. Thus if we
look back over three or more thousands of years, we already seem to recognise Pomeranian and
setter, sheepdog and greyhound, pug and spaniel.

Moreover, paleontology has uncovered an equal variety of skeletons, which allow us to postulate
the existence of most species of dogs even in the earliest Stone Age. In this area, the researches of
Theophil Studer are particularly significant.' He attempted a first ordering of the material available
at the end of the nineteenth century; and though his findings are in part questioned today, his
fundamental conclusions are indicative. He distinguished two basic forms: a northern, palearctic
dog and a southern type extending down to India. Both accompany man and never occur as wild
forms. It is generally believed today that continual crossing of dogs both with wolves and with
jackals has given rise to the panoply of forms found in the great dog-families all over the earth.
Indeed, it is characteristic of dogs and wolves that they have an amazingly mutable body, able to
adapt to new conditions in the shortest time. For example, young wolves which have been
domesticated from birth have shorter skulls and snouts than their wild brothers. Moreover, the
astonishing variability among the dogs themselves - from the tiny Pekinese to the giant wolf-hound
- reveals the plastic- ity of their form. Certainly no other animal can compare with the dog in this
respect.

The dog is called 'the oldest domestic animal' because in early history it was already connected with
its master. In an old Persian law-book it is said that the whole world exists only by virtue of the
dog's intelligence. Its power reaches from heaven down to hell, for below, in the realm of dark-
ness, it guards the entrance to the underworld in the form of Cerberus. The Indians, for their part,
worship Yama, God of the dead:

For them, he is the first man who found, in death, the way to the bright heights for many born after
him and there he reigns as the gatherer of humankind. His dogs keep watch at the entrance to
heaven.3

Thus the dog stands at the threshold of death which the human being must cross. This helps us to
understand why we find on many English and French gravestones a deceased knight portrayed with
the soles of his feet resting on the body
of a dog.

However, is it really correct to call the dog merely a domestic animal, and thus put him alongside
cow and sheep, chicken, pig and horse? Does it not occupy a quite different position from theirs?
For all other domestic animals we build stalls, maintain meadow and pasture land, and keep them
near to us. The dog - and the cat-share house and habitation with us, even if some- times we give
them a little house or a basket of their own. These two dog and cat- - are much closer to us than cow
and sheep - ever were. The position of the horse is a special one; it will be discussed in a separate
chapter.

We see the dog and cat accompanying people from very early times, in such an intimate relation
that no other animal can be compared with them in this respect. There are animals near to humans
who are unable to live without them. Many birds, such as the ravens and crows, doves and
swallows, owls, swans and storks, and most of all the sparrows, seek out the vicinity of humankind.
Bears, too, as well as elephants, hyenas and buffalo are very close to us. But they all have retained
their own living space; they live next to man, not with him. The rule of nature and its seasons is still
deeply bound up with their own being; animal and environment fit one another like key and lock.

With domestic animals it is different. Through domestica- tion they have been divested of their
natural connections. They need stalls and stables, enclosures and meadows, because they are no
longer able to provide shelter and food for themselves. Struggle, lust for life, and wild roving have
been transformed into service, docility and security. Now milk flows at almost all times; eggs are
laid and wool given. Once near to us, they have come to serve people.

Dogs and cats, however, are not servants; hence they can- not be ranked among the domestic
animals - though the literal meaning of the word suits them alone, for it is only they who sit by our
fireplaces and stoves; they use our rooms and have their place at our side It should not be objected
here that the parrot, magpie, canary and budgerigar also live with us. Indeed they do, but only as
captives; the must be kept tied or caged. Dogs and cats, on the other hand, seldom try to run wild.
Was there a time, long ago, when they had to be broken in and tamed? Or is this just a notion arising
out of Darwinism? If falcons and wild animals are tamed today, this is not comparable to the
process which led to the domestication of various animals. The young of tamed animals will never
be tame solely because their parents have learnt submission. They will remain wild animals. What
once must have taken place assuming that the accepted view of domestication can stand was so
profound a change in the animal's essential nature that it passed on acquired manners and habits to
its descendants. This thought alone is hard enough to understand or demonstrate experimentally.

Would it not be much more natural to think of a time when animals and humans were so closely
akin that they lived with one another? According to this view all animals were once near to
humankind; and only gradually did the wild forms arise, breaking away from the human world and
assimilating themselves to natural surroundings foreign to man. In other words, wild animals were
not gradually brought into a domesticated state; they became wild. Thus we can imagine a twofold
path: one leading away from people towards wildness, and another, much shorter path, whereby the
cat- tle and swine, sheep and goats become servers and providers.

In the light of this new picture we can see the evolution of dog and cat at our side in a much more
immediate way. The two remain faithful to the eternal archetypes of their group: they have always
lived at our side. It was only from them that the lion and tiger, puma, panther and leopard developed
later - as well as the wolves, foxes, jackals and dingoes. Thus we must break through to a new
image: the human being in the centre, accompanied by dog and cat. The dog trots on his left side,
the cat on his right.. Indeed, we may not assume that they have always looked the same as they do
now. They were originally much closer to their archetypes; they were more changeable in form, not
so special- ised. Nevertheless, the dogs and cats of today still stand closer to their primeval brothers
and sisters than do the recent wild forms. The latter arose out of the 'generalised' dog and
'unspecialised' cat who accompany humankind out of prehistoric times on to the stage of history. It
is now time to characterise dog and cat as two prime representatives of the carnivores..
‘THE NATURE OF CATS AND DOGS

The enduring relationship between humans, dogs, and cats throughout history. Origins of dogs,
remain a topic of paleontological mystery. Dogs have been intertwined with human existence since
ancient times, prompting speculation about whether there ever was a period when they lived apart.
The vast array of dog breeds depicted in historical representations, such as Egyptian tablets,
Babylonian seals, and Greek vases, suggests that the diverse canine types we know today were
already familiar thousands of years ago. From Pomeranians and setters to sheepdogs and
greyhounds, the wide range of breeds indicates a deep connection between humans and dogs
spanning millennia.

Furthermore, paleontological discoveries have unveiled a rich diversity of dog skeletons, indicating
that most dog species likely existed even during the earliest stages of the Stone Age. The research
of Theophil Studer in the late nineteenth century provided crucial insights into dog evolution,
proposing two fundamental forms: a northern, palearctic dog and a southern type extending to
India. Both forms consistently accompanied humans and never existed in the wild. It is widely
believed that ongoing interbreeding between dogs, wolves, and jackals contributed to the vast array
of dog breeds found across the globe. Dogs and wolves possess an astonishingly malleable body,
allowing them to adapt rapidly to new conditions. For instance, domesticated young wolves exhibit
shorter skulls and snouts compared to their wild counterparts. The remarkable variability among
dog breeds, ranging from tiny Pekinese to giant wolfhounds, underscores the plasticity of their
physical form. In this regard, no other animal can match the dog's capacity for adaptation.
Referred to as "the oldest domestic animal," the dog has been intricately linked to humans
throughout history. Ancient Persian texts even attribute the existence of the entire world to the
dog's intelligence. The dog's influence is said to extend from heaven to hell, with its presence
guarding the entrance to the underworld in the form of Cerberus. In Indian mythology, Yama, the
fGod of the dead, is accompanied by dogs that stand watch at the gates of heaven.
However, it is essential to differentiate dogs and cats from other domestic animals. While other
animals are often housed separately and maintained in stalls or pastures, dogs and cats share living
spaces with humans. They are not mere servants but companions, even though they may
occasionally have their own designated areas, such as a small house or a basket. Dogs and cats hold
a distinct position, closer to humans than cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, and horses. Their bond with
humans is unique and intimate. Birds like ravens, crows, doves, and sparrows may seek proximity
to humans, but they maintain their own living spaces adjacent to humanity. Bears, elephants,
hyenas, and buffalo also exhibit closeness to humans, yet they live alongside humans rather than
with them, adhering to the natural rhythm and conditions of their environments.
Domestication sets dogs and cats apart from other animals. their natural connections and made
them dependent on humans for shelter and sustenance. While other domesticated animals require
human-provided stalls, stables, enclosures, and pastures, dogs and cats are more intimately
entwined with human habitats. They sit by fireplaces and stoves , and hold a place at their human
companions' side. While parrots, , canaries,also live with humans, they are kept in captivity,
requiring confinement. In conclusion, cats have shared an intimate connection with humans since
ancient times and have accompanied humans throughout history, forging a unique relationship,
while the origins of dogs and their diverse breeds remain a subject of scientific inquiry They
formed a strong relationship with human as our „helpers”. Dogs and cats occupy a distinct position
among domestic animals, living side by side with humans rather than merely serving them. The
enduring presence of dogs and cats throughout history highlights their timeless bond with humans
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